Salvatore De Giorgi (born 6 September 1930) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Palermo from 1996 until his retirement in 2006. He was made a cardinal in 1998. He was first made a bishop in 1973 and led other dioceses in his native Apulia from 1978 to 1990.


Salvatore De Giorgi
Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Palermo
ChurchCatholic Church
ArchdiocesePalermo
Appointed4 April 1996
Term ended19 December 2006
PredecessorSalvatore Pappalardo
SuccessorPaolo Romeo
Other post(s)Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Aracoeli
Previous post(s)
Orders
Ordination28 June 1953
by Francesco Minerva
Consecration27 December 1973
by Francesco Minerva
Created cardinal21 February 1998
by John Paul II
RankCardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born (1930-09-06) 6 September 1930 (age 94)
Vernole, Italy
NationalityItalian
DenominationRoman Catholic
Mottoin charitate pax
Coat of armsSalvatore De Giorgi's coat of arms

Life

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De Giorgi was born 6 September 1930 in Vernole, in Apulia (Southern Italy). He was ordained a priest in 1953 and was secretary to Bishop Francesco Minerva of Lecce from 1953 to 1958. He also served as diocesan chaplain for the Teachers' Movement of Catholic Action.[1] In 1958 he became parish priest of Our Lady of Grace in Santa Rosa. On 21 November 1973, he was named titular bishop of Tulana and an auxiliary bishop of Oria. He received his episcopal consecration on 27 December. Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of that see on 17 March 1978.[2] His pastoral ministry was characterized by the accentuation of the spiritual, commitment to the formation of the clergy, the promotion of the laity. Attentive to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, he was also particularly sensitive to social problems, especially those concerning the family, youth and the protection of life, and has directed special attention to the situation of the marginalized.[3]

On 4 April 1981, he was made archbishop of Foggia.[4] From 1987 to 1990, he served as Archbishop of Taranto.[2] In 1990, he was appointed General Chaplain of Italian Catholic Action, a position he held until Pope John Paul II appointed him archbishop of Palermo on 4 April 1996.[5] At the same time, he was also elected President of the Sicilian Episcopal Conference. He was often outspoken in his condemnation of organized crime and the mafia. He has visited emigrants from Palermo in the Italian communities in Melbourne, Australia, Chicago and Milwaukee in the United States of America, in Toronto, Canada and London in England.[3]

De Giorgi was named a Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Aracoeli on 21 February 1998.[6] On 25 February he was made a member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family.[7] On 18 February 1999, he was named a member of the Congregation for the Clergy.[8] He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.[9] He retired as Archbishop of Palermo on 19 December 2006 and was succeeded by Archbishop Paolo Romeo, who had been apostolic nuncio to Italy and San Marino.[10]

Styles of
Salvatore De Giorgi
 
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal
SeePalermo (emeritus)

De Giorgi is a writer and journalist. He has authored several religious publications, including Un servizio di amore per una Chiesa di frontiera (2015).[11]

Pope Benedict XVI appointed him to a commission to investigate leaks of confidential documents. It first met on 24 April 2012.[12] In May 2013 Pope Francis designated De Giorgi his representative to officiate at the beatification of Father Pino Puglisi, killed by the mafia in 1993. As generally the Pope chooses either the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints or the Cardinal Secretary of State, this was seen as unprecedented.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "De Giorgi Card. Salvatore". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b "De Giorgi, Salvatore". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Card. Salvatore De Giorgi", Accademia Bonafaciana
  4. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXIII. 1981. p. 429. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  5. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXXVIII. 1996. p. 523. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  6. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. XC. 1998. p. 245. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  7. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. XC. 1998. p. 247. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  8. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. XCI. 1999. p. 479. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Elenco degli Em.mi Cardinali che entrano in Conclave secondo il loro rispettivo ordine di precedenza (Vescovi, Presbiteri, Diaconi)" [List of the Eminent Cardinals entering into Conclave according to their respective order of precedence (Bishops, Priests, Deacons)]. Holy See Press Office (in Italian). 18 April 2005. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 19.12.2006" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 19 December 2006. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  11. ^ ""Un servizio di amore per una Chiesa di frontiera", il Cardinale De Giorgi presenta il suo libro a Cavallino". Corriere Salentino (in Italian). 2 September 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  12. ^ "NOTIFICAZIONE DELLA SEGRETERIA DI STATO , 25.04.2012". Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  13. ^ Grana, Francesco Antonio (17 May 2013). "Beatification of Father Puglisi, Pope Francis excludes Cardinal Romeo". Il Fatto Quotidiano. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
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Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Joseph Bonhomme
— TITULAR —
Titular Bishop of Tulana
21 November 1973 – 29 November 1975
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Alberico Semeraro
Bishop of Oria
17 March 1978 – 4 April 1981
Succeeded by
Armando Franco
Preceded by
Giuseppe Lenotti
Archbishop of Foggia-Bovino
4 April 1981 – 10 October 1987
Succeeded by
Bishop of Bovino
4 April 1981 – 30 September 1986
Diocese suppressed
Bishop of Troia
4 April 1981 – 30 September 1986
Preceded by
Guglielmo Motolese
Archbishop of Taranto
10 October 1987 – 11 May 1990
Succeeded by
Benigno Luigi Papa
Preceded by General Ecclesiastical Assistant of Italian Catholic Action
2 February 1990 – 4 April 1996
Succeeded by
Agostino Superbo
Preceded by Archbishop of Palermo
4 April 1996 – 19 December 2006
Succeeded by
Preceded by Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli
21 February 1998 –
Incumbent